1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cartons and other similar box packages, and more specifically to a carton which substantially encloses an article of hand-held outdoor power equipment yet permits the purchaser to physically access portions of the article.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Point-of-sale packaging is, of course, a well known concept for shipment and display of products prior to sale. Usually this packaging is a box or carton which includes artistic designs to be both attractive and attention-getting. In order to protect the product and other contents from damage, loss, or theft, a completely closed carton is often desirable. A completely closed carton generally provides a convenient and secure manner for both shipping and displaying a product that may include additional parts, such as assembly fasteners, manuals, warranty, and the like. A variety of advertising and both graphical and textual product descriptions are typically found on the exterior panels of the box. Very often, the box graphics pictorially depict the enclosed product so that the consumer can see, among other items, the product manufacturer and trade dress, the product type, color, style, and size, and the product's intended use. Furthermore, closed cartons are generally manufactured relatively simply and efficiently with automatic machinery, and often an entire carton can be formed from a single blank of corrugated material or paperboard. However, traditional point-of-sale packaging which completely encloses the product from the consumer's view or touch is not satisfactory for displaying some products, especially products that a consumer may desire to visually and tactilely access to evaluate and determine whether or not to purchase the product.
Point-of-sale packages for powered hand-held yard implements are also known. These yard implements may include, for example, grass trimmers and snow-throwing devices, such as the line of flexible filament grass trimmers and the Power Shovel.RTM. snowthrower, respectively, manufactured by The Toro Company of Bloomington, Minn. Typical point-of-sale packages for powered, hand-held yard implements have generally included a corrugated paper box that completely encloses the implement at the point of sale. Typical graphics and written matter on panels of these implement boxes often attempt to convey to the consumer some of the implement's desirable features such as durability, feel and comfort of use, function, and ease of use, but these factors are difficult to convey to a customer visually rather than by actual physical contact or simulated use.
As with other consumer products, powered yard implements are specifically designed to be rugged and withstand abuse. The durability of a yard implement is often a major consideration for a consumer in deciding whether to purchase the item. Accordingly, consumers desire the opportunity to visually and tactilely access the implement prior to purchase to qualitatively assess durability and other factors such as the comfort, feel, weight, and balance of the item. Some retailers of these powered implements accommodate the consumer's desire to physically assess and handle the implement by providing a display model on the retail floor. However, retailers providing such display models may incur considerable expense in maintaining a large display inventory of several brands and models, for damaged or lost display products, for lost profits as the display products cannot be sold at normal prices, and for loss of shelf inventory to accommodate the display implements. Unfortunately, for some retailers who do not provide display models, a consumer desiring to independently assess the implement may resort to opening and removing the implement from the box, resulting in an opened or damaged package which may be difficult to sell later, or damage to a product that is not detected until a later purchaser returns it. Customers may also be leery of purchasing implements within open boxes, and this can result in unsaleable merchandise. Yet for many consumers the first opportunity to assess the implement for comfort, quality, balance, and other features is after purchase which also may result in additional store returns, restocking, and expensive customer service transaction costs. The foregoing problems are reduced by allowing the consumer to both see and touch the implement at the point of sale.
Many powered implements are elongate in design, and include a handle and a heavier working or functional end. Some packaging for these powered implements is sized to receive a disassembled implement, the height of these boxes being substantially shorter than the height of the subsequently assembled implement. Reference may be made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,675 to Beihoffer, as an example of an implement which may be shipped in a "knocked down" or partially-disassembled state.
On the other hand, some consumers may prefer to purchase substantially or fully assembled implements which can be quickly placed in use. Manufacturers of powered implements have addressed this consumer desire by shipping and displaying substantially fully assembled implements within large enclosed boxes, the consumer having only to add minor componentry or perform slight adjustments prior to the intended use. Typical boxes for a substantially or fully assembled implements include a base upon which the carton is rested, wherein the elongate implement is maintained in a stable, upright or vertical orientation. Importantly, by fully-enclosing the implement within a carton, the implement is protected from damage, loss, or theft of parts during shipping and subsequent display.
Shipping and display cartons for substantially assembled powered yard implements are known which allow the consumer to partially access the implement without removal from the carton. Such cartons are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,332,085 and 5,495,937 to Fraser. Cartons according to the Fraser '085 and '937 patents are generally "C-shaped," having a body with a large open central channel extending nearly the entire length of the carton which reveals the contained implement. As a result of the relatively large exposure of the implement through the open central region, these cartons may be characterized as "partially enclosing" the implement. A detrimental result of only partially enclosing an implement is exposure of the implement to damage during shipping and display. For example, nearly the entire handle member of a powered implement is exposed and unprotected when packaged according to the Fraser '085 and '937 patents.
In addition, the art in this area teaches packaging for grass-trimmers in which a trimmer guard and handle extension member are attached in-place on the trimmer. This unduly extends the "depth" and the "width" of the overall trimmer package.
Furthermore, cartons of the type disclosed in the Fraser '085 and '937 patents, unlike simple one-piece blank-formed cartons, are comprised of multiple parts including a separate body, top retainer structure, and bottom retainer structure. Multiple-part cartons are often less economical to manufacture because additional material and fabrication steps are needed to form the retainer structures. Multiple-part cartons are often less efficient to erect prior to receiving a product because the retainer structures have to be manually formed and positioned relative to the product and the carton body.
Finally, cartons of the type disclosed in the Fraser '085 and '937 patents are also perceived to be less rigid and protective as compared to a fully or (substantially-fully) enclosed carton. Such cartons are also harder to stack because they are not rectangular with flat side panels and are therefore less suitable for shipping and stacking products
A need therefore has arisen for a carton to hold a substantially or fully assembled powered implement which to a large extent provides protection against damage by "substantially enclosing" the implement, but further includes suitably located openings or access ways in the carton which allow the consumer to examine and handle the implement prior to purchase.